WBS Penguins Cruise Past Crunch

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Eric Tangradi recorded a pair of markers to help lead the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Syracuse Crunch at the War Memorial at Oncenter.

Riley Holzapfel potted the game-winning goal at 5:35 of the second when he slapped the puck from a difficult angle along the goal line that sneaked between the far post and Crunch goaltender Dustin Tokarski.

Almost three minutes later, Beau Bennett scored his first professional goal, when he buried a rebound from a Trevor Smith shot for a power play tally and a 3-1 Penguins lead.

With the Syracuse net empty late in regulation, Tangradi secured the win for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, intercepting a pass at center ice and fired it home for his second goal of the game.

For the second straight game, the opposition went up, 1-0, with just 38 seconds gone in the contest. Driving along the goal line, Cory Conacher threw a centering pass towards the slot where it banked off of a skate and behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goalie Jeff Zatkoff.

The Penguins penalty kill came up large through the rest of the period, shutting down a potent Crunch power play four times in the first 20 minutes. Syracuse would come up empty on seven man-advantages overall in the contest.

Tangradi tied the game at 14:10 as he wristed a shot through the five-hole of Tokarski from the far right circle. Alex Grant kept the puck in from an aggressive forecheck and fed Tangradi for his second goal in as many nights.

Zatkoff picked up his first win for the Penguins with 31 saves on the night. Tokarski stopped 26-of-29 shots as Syracuse suffered its first regulation loss of the season

The Penguins complete their weekend of play on Sunday, Oct. 28 as they take on the Hershey Bears at 5:00 p.m.